An Exciting Journey in Space...

Galaxy Pirate Adventure is a sci-fi RPG that looks better than it plays. You play out this mobile space opera as a prince of thieves whose pirate-king father encourages you to make a name for yourself in the universe. To do that, you’ll do what pirates have done for centuries: build up a fleet of pirate brethren to kill and steal your way to the top. But the story takes a backseat to the combat and exploration elements.

To solidify yourself as the heir-apparent space pirate, you’ll have to take on a series of missions that reward you with credits, loot, and crafting materials. The mission types are limited, so you’ll almost always find yourself delivering goods or engaging in space combat. The problem is that the game fails to make either of these mission types much fun.

How the shields glitter.

The combat is based around a simple attack/ defend/ charge system that quickly feels repetitive. Your ship circles around enemies as you manage your energy, which determines how effective you are in battle. You must time your energy recharge ability wisely or you’ll get vaporized. The combat elements evolve as you add more weapons and larger ships, but it never becomes particularly fun.

There is a large galaxy to explore, and you’ll spend a lot of time planning routes in the in-game map. Getting around in the game feels very similar to the immensely popular EVE Online. Jumping from point A to point B isn’t an option most of time, so you’ll have to get around by following set routes. In a game like EVE where immersion and realism is key, this kind of travel makes sense. In a mobile title, it just feels like a waste of time. As you travel you’ll encounter random battles, but mostly you will be watching your ship soar around in little cutscenes.

The threat is either very tiny or very far away.

On the plus side, customizing your crafts can be interesting. Like in lots of games, you can choose various weapons and parts, like fancy thrusters and shielding, but what really stands out is how you boost the specs on these components. While in port you can hire on crew members and assign them to specific areas of the ship. For instance, you can hire a scary-looking cyborg with high stats and put him in charge of your laser beams. His stats will determine how much damage your lasers do, and how much energy the beam costs to fire. Sadly, you don’t get to interact with these crew members during your adventure.

As you explore the galaxy, you can visit markets to trade the things that pirates trade, like slaves and cigarettes. You can make some extra cash by simply buying low in one port and selling high in the next. There isn’t much more to the galactic economy than that, but it’s still a nice distraction from the stale missions.

Galaxy Pirate Adventure isn’t a bad game. It tries hard to include different gameplay elements, but it fails to make them engaging. The result is a great looking space sim with bland execution. On the bright side, the developers have a sturdy EVE clone to build upon in updates or sequels. It would be nice if they’d borrow some of the depth and multiplayer elements that make the game’s inspiration so compelling.

AppSpy takes a look at AG Drive in their latest video review. Giving it top marks and only dinging it for not having multiplayer. If you like “swooshy swoopy futuristic racers” this one might be the one.